REGENERATING OUR COASTS

Using biodegradable structures to facilitate restoration efforts

along our coasts

Coastal wetland restoration can be challenging as impacted areas may have lost key hydrological or soil features that are needed for plant seeds and roots to establish and thrive. In these scenarios, restoration via natural revegetation may not be possible.

Biodegradable structures that slow water flow and encourage soil accumulation while also mimicking nature’s design provide a solution for coastal restoration challenges.

Overview

Regenerating Our Coasts is a multidisciplinary program that encompasses two overarching themes: Restoration & Outreach. We will trial biodegradable structures to promote coastal regeneration, while assessing broader opportunities for these facilitated restoration techniques in Australia (Objectives 1 & 4). We will also educate and engage the public, stakeholders and industry on how facilitated restoration techniques can benefit the ecosystem at local scales and beyond (Objectives 2 & 3). Together, this program aims to advance the health and stewardship of our coastal ecosystems through meaningful ecological and social impact.

About the biodegradable structures

BESE-elements®, produced by BESE in the Netherlands, is a 3D lattice made of compostable potato starch from industrial waste. These structures degrade in 2-20 years depending on the material and the ecosystem in which it is used. This sustainable, non-toxic lattice mimics key coastal soil conditions that promote seedling and root establishment.

For example, the structure slows water movement, allowing for soil accumulation and seed capture. Roots of seedlings or co-transplanted plants are able to establish as the structures stabilise the soil. BESE-elements have been shown to promote revegetation of seagrass and saltmarsh ecosystems in Europe and North America.

Given the extent of coastline conversion in the last 200 years as well as the push for restoring blue carbon ecosystems, there is enormous potential for this technology to facilitate and accelerate coastal restoration practice in Australia.

Find out about BESE-elements at https://www.bese-products.com/